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Capt. Dylan Weber, the Air Expeditionary Group’s MAFFS Scheduler, 152nd Operations Group, stands in front of a Nevada Air National Guard C-130 equipped with the MAFFS unit.

May 4, 2022

Nevada Air Guard doubles certified pilots during aerial firefighting training

BOISE, Idaho — The Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Operations Group upgraded four pilots to aircraft commanders certified on the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) here, April 25 - 30.

A California Air National Guard C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing flies a training route during the 2022 Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems spring training in Boise, Idaho, April 29, 2022.

May 4, 2022

Airborne Firefighting units participate in interagency spring training in Idaho

BOISE, Idaho — Less than two years after the most devastating firefighting season in the United States, the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) spring training took place at Gowen Field, Idaho, April 25-29, 2022.

A U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules MAFFS (Modular Airborne Firefighting System) aircraft assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing sits on the flight line in front of the newly constructed MAFFS pits at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Port Hueneme, California. April 21, 2022. The new fire-retardant ground tanks have increased the storage capability five-fold from a 10,000-gallon capacity to 50,000 gallons to accommodate more MAFFS aircraft and the U.S. Forest Service's Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT's) with water and fire retardant solution. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Michelle Ulber)

April 25, 2022

MAFFS ground tanks give California a cutting edge in aerial firefighting capabilities

CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. — Finalizing construction for a massive air-tanker base upgrade, the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing (146 AW) completed the installation of four new fire retardant ground storage tanks in March.

MAFFS 9 Drop on Beckwourth Complex Fire July 9, 2021.

Oct. 4, 2021

MAFFS crews wrap up second-busiest fire season in 49-year history

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The USDA Forest Service released the final four U.S Air Force C-130 Modular Aircraft Firefighting System-equipped C-130 aircraft Sept. 29, marking the end of a 96-day support effort.

U.S. Army Soldiers from 23rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, pose for a group photo at Nervino Helibase in front of a civilian aircraft used to carry supplies to and from fires in support of the Department of Defense wildland firefighting response on the Dixie Fire in Plumas National Forest, California, Sept. 14, 2021. U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command remains committed to providing flexible DoD support to the National Interagency Fire Center to respond quickly and effectively to assist our local, state, and federal partners in protecting people, property, and public lands.

Sept. 29, 2021

ARNORTH concludes military wildland fire ground response operation in California

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — At the request of the National Interagency Fire Center, and in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command, concluded its wildland fire ground response operation in California.

A silhouette of a Marine walking through gray smoke in a burned forest.

Aug. 28, 2021

ARNORTH to support NIFC in wildland fire ground response operation in California

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — At the request of the National Interagency Fire Center, approximately 200 U.S. Army Soldiers will support a wildland fire ground response operation in Northern California.

MAFFS 9 Drop on Beckwourth Complex Fire July 9, 2021.

Aug. 6, 2021

High Rollers’ MAFFS teams on course to surpass last year’s fire year totals at the half-way point through the fire year

NEVADA AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Nev. — The Nevada Air National Guard is only half-way through the fire year and already has amassed 434 drops with 1.2M gallons of retardant as of August 5, 2021.

High Rollers drop retardant on Beckwourth Complex Fire

July 20, 2021

152nd Airlift Wing “High Rollers” extended on MAFFS duty as fires continue burning across western states

RENO, Nev. — The Nevada Air National Guard’s participation in the MAFFS mission this year has been extended to Aug. 26 at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). There will also be two additional C-130 aircraft and aircrew added to the mission for a total of five military C-130 aircraft activated.

MAFFS Photo 2020

July 6, 2021

Third U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft joins DoD efforts for wildland fire fighting

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — A third U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft joined the Department of Defense’s efforts for wildland fire fighting in Western states, as requested by the USDA Forest Service. The air tanker arrived at McClellan Airbase in Sacramento, Calif., yesterday, and made three of the 13 retardant drops for the day.

About 150 feet above a tree line, a California Air National Guard C-130 aircraft releases 3,000 gallons of water, covering nearly a quarter mile, during aerial wild land firefighting training June 15-19, 2020, at the Tahoe National Forest.

June 28, 2021

DoD C-130 aircraft mobilize to support wildland firefighting efforts

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Two U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) began wildland firefighting operations in support of the National Interagency Fire Center over the Lava Fire in northern California Saturday, and have dropped nearly 20,000 gallons of fire retardant to date.